How to take care of your Voice 

When I get hoarse, warm orange juice and honey will knock it out. Jamaican remedy. I have allergies. Dairy products mess me up. I haven't started v.o. as of yet. Still learning and researching. I also noticed, being near the ocean helps clear my nasal congestion, as well.

One thing about the effects of what you eat: Sometimes the alteration that something causes can be useful. I use the mild phlegm buildup from milk for voices that need a bit of rattle; whiskey and rum are great for a rich, smooth crooner's voice, add some sour citric juice or some vinegar to add some smoke; straight hot sauce and vinegar can help you achieve the "obnoxious chain smoker" effect. Be careful with it though, and remember to counter the effects quickly - drinking milk after a hot sauce and/or vinegar session, for instance - and stay hydrated, or you can permanently damage your voice. And our main tool cannot be replaced with a simple trip to the hardware store; it's the only one we have.

A few people have mentioned honey, and I may be biased as a beekeeper, but since you mention seasonal allergies in this video.... Eating local honey daily has helped a lot of my customers beat their seasonal allergies. The theory goes that eating honey with the strains of pollen native to your area (why the honey has to be local) builds up an immunity to those strains of pollen, and when exposed to those types of pollen, your body doesn't react to it as an allergen. Honey is delicious, so even if it doesn't work, it's not a loss. Find a beekeeper in your area (the closer the better, but 50 miles is sufficient) that sells raw honey. That's honey that is not heated above normal hive temps- 100 F or less. Try eating at least a tablespoon a day. It's best to take it in the raw form, so in food or on a spoon, and not in a hot drink or in cooked/baked items. Those are ok too, but take an additional spoonful that hasn't been heated. I have had quite a few musicians eat honey on breaks during performances to help their voice as well, so you may try to give that a try in the booth some time. Thanks for all the tips and encouragement, and I hope I was able to give back a bit here!

Working 30 years in Radio I LIVE by hot tea and honey. It has saved MANY days when my voice was "questionable". Coffee is my go-to 1st... but Tea and honey can be a lifesaver for me.

60s?!?! Would have never thought. You are absolutely taking care of yourself!

Like you I am in my sixties. I'm congested in the morning so a hot steamy shower helps a great deal. Coffee is my hot drink of preference. Without coffee the client is more likely to get a "grumpy" voice-over. Later in the morning I switch over to cold Lipton diet green tea with citrus or a hot decaf tea with citrus. Sometimes I just do water. The point is I stay hydrated.

I've found tea with milk definitely gives me a "nasal knock" and mouth noise when I'm recording. I have no idea what to call it other than that 😂 I've had to stop drinking it in the afternoon and switch to water. Love your videos! They're a massive help and inspiration, thank you!

Tea (actual tea from the tea plant, not herbal “tea,” has tannic acid in it), which is an astringent.

The past year has been super challenging - happy to be getting back on track. Always love being in this space, listening to you. Appreciate all your advice and support - thank you for being here Bill. x

One thing I noticed about my voice is it is very fragile, but recovers quickly. One strong shout causes me to go hoarse and speaking becomes painful, but staying mute for about 10 minutes results in a near full recovery. No idea if this is normal but it was brought to my attention in high school theatre

I suffer seasonal allergies too. What works for me is: hot lemon water first thing in the morning - thennn my coffee. :) Also, local honey, which I take in South African rooibos tea, or just on a teaspoon.

Manuka honey with tea does wonders for me! 🙂

Liquids don’t come into contact with the larynx, which is in the trachea, not the esophagus. So when you drink a beverage to soothe your larynx, it never touches that larynx-it just goes down your esophagus.

My favourite band on your shirt (and maybe a little insight into yours and my past)! You are THE best!! I'm 54yo and doing a lot of biking now. I also realize that i need to practice my instrument by reading out loud. I do it as a volunteer activity and feel good about it.

Thanks, Bill. You just answered my question about sinus congestion.

I'm just getting ready to start a career in VO, and it made me get solid on eating healthy and avoiding the foods I know are bad for me because those foods, grains and sugars in particular including corn and rice, give me nasal polyps. Knowing how that affects my voice is making me stay on track now solidly with the Paleo Diet that I've been trying to get back solid on for almost a decade. I was getting better, but now I'm real strict because my voice is going to be my career so my health must be my top priority...especially as I'm turning 59 this year. I agree with you about hydration being very important too. I love your "do what works for you" approach. I can definitely see why you're such a good coach, I love your videos.

Thanks Bill!

Always a good word! Thanks, Bill.

Thank you Bill, you always give good advice 👍

Love your work man! Many thanks and cheers from Slovakia, central Europe!

Thank you, Bill! You are awesome!

Very helpful to hear your thoughts on dealing with voice issues. Thanks.

Really great info Bill Always appreciate the tips and advice Your videos have helped me a great deal

Thank you so much Bill.I love your relatable style . Great info and realness.

Hey Bill, you always have so many wonderful tips. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Thanks, dude! Your input is priceless. I've been watching other people in the business. You are golden. We'll see how my new career works out. I'll definitely give you creds!

Question for you: Should one get a LLC or sole proprietor? Will like to transition from medical field to V.O.

Hi Bill - Thanks for sharing your personal vocal health-related details. As much as you reiterated that all this is what your personal experience is and that "our mileage may vary," I'm experiencing pretty much the same sinus / allergy / Zyrtec / etc. symptoms and solutions as you. Living in the midwest, like you, I've also got the year-round allergy and sinus fun going on, and Zyrtec-D is my go-to. Your videos and advice continue to inspire and bring a smile. Thanks, again!

Love the shirt.

DUDE!! Did you say you are in your 60's?! Congrats!! Nice tips. Sleep, good diet, exercise; POWERFUL trifecta.

Appreciate the video as always Bill. After all those years in radio, I love the creative side of things. But as an IT guy, I also like the technical, black and white nature of some things. But you really nail it when you talk about these sorts of generalities. They do get me stuck in the mud, over analyzing things, especially trying to start this new phase of voice-over work. The old paralysis by analysis. It trips me up more times than I care to admit. Am I good enough? (No) Do I sound good enough today? (No) Can I ever be as good as (Insert name)? Why Bother? Who's going to actually pay me to voice anything? These are all head games I play with myself. And vocal maintenance or quality just adds to the pile. But you bring me back to reality. Sometimes you just gotta go! Do it! So thanks again for a practical and timely pep talk!

Hey Coach DeWees, you look good and sound great. I knew you had that competitive athletic gene. You can see it. Thank you, Sir, for this video. You boosted my confidence level when you said, "You sound worse to you.... Not as much to others". I am my own worst critic. But you hit a bull's eye when you emphasize "All Hands On Deck" attention to the client. Tech, Performance and Business (Thank you Sir for That Lesson). Now that I'm at the Business part of it, giving your clients your complete attention and making them feel engaged is perhaps the second-best lesson you taught me. Clients Love that. How to record my voice being the first. And I'll say it if you won't Coach. You're a voice over artist, you're working from home, you're eating all the time when you're not writing or producing, and you start gaining weight and next thing you know your breathing heavier you sound different your out of shape. Sounding like a hurricane behind the mic...... Listen to Coach DeWees he is the guiding light that shines in the night. Thanks Coach.

Love the Boston tee. Sadly, my brothers and I interviewed Brad Deli several times in connection to his work with a band called Beatlejuice. Our last interview with him was just several weeks before his passing.

Bill, Being one of your students is one of the best things I've done for myself. You and your family are the best -- hands down!!!

You're in your 60s?? You look incredibly youthful!

I had to give up dairy and eggs completely to keep my voice steady and clear.

Hi Bill, your advice is so helpful! Do you accept VO samples for feedback? I've been struggling to find work and not sure where I'm going wrong. Thanks for your content! - Victoria

Cool shirt - Boston VO guy

For mouth noise, I found chewing winter fresh gum and drinking some water really stops those mouth clicks

Before they changed the recipe from cane sugar to corn syrup as the main sweetener, I'd sip Dr. Pepper hot. Luckily, it doesn't take much. Some stores carry their own version of Dr. Pepper with sugar. It's not quite the same. But it still works to strip away phlegm.

The Ohio River Valley is terrible for allergies. So you do private coaching? Where in the Cincinnati area are you located?Thanks.

I had a period where I was working until I completely lost my voice at least once per week. I would take something called Minrasol and wake up the next morning back in full force.

Bill, have you (or anyone else who has allergy problems) tried getting allergy shots? I took the shots as a kid and have about 2 days of allergy problems per year.

tea and some alcohol have tannins in them . that is the thing

Eating local raw honey can help an allergy if you are still suffering. No really!

Don’t look like you’re in your 60s.